Evolutionary theory of parent-offspring conflict

Abstract

Natural selection can act in different ways on genes expressed in parents and their young, giving rise to parent-offspring conflict. The way in which this genetic conflict manifests itself at the behavioural level is unclear, and there has been widespread dissatisfaction that the theory has provided few testable predictions. A recent shift in emphasis from models that define the possible extent of conflict to those that predict its resolution offers greater hope of a testable theory of parent-offspring conflict.